Hay-loading apparatus.



Patented Jan. 2l, |902.

F. S. CHURCH. HAY LOADING APPARATUS. (Application med Apr. 19,1901.)

(un Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

THE Nonms Firms co. Pnorouwcr.. wAsHlNnToN. D. c.

No. 69|,7|4. vPatented lan.'2|, |902.

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HAY 1.oA111H1; APPARATUS. (Appliestion led Apr. 119,. 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sh\ets.-Sheet 2.

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11 1.. M111.1/1// j". 1.1 .1 am 1.41.1mm -1 H UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE... v-

FRANK S. CHURCH, OF-SIERRA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I'IALF TO LINUS DOLLEY, OF SIERRA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA.

HAY-LOADING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,714, dated January 21, 1902,

' natation nea April 19, 1901, serai No. 56,552, (No model.;

To LZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, FRANK S. CHURCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sierra Valley, county of Sierra, State of California, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Hay-Loading Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The present invention has for its object the providing of mechanism whereby the entire load of hay as brought from the eld may be elevated and deposited within the barn at a single operation, thus disposing with the labor at present required to put the hay into the barn. Ordinarily the loaded wagon drives up to or into the barn, and the hay is then Aremoved from the wagon by pitchforks or other'tools and suitably placed in the barn.

By the hereinafter-described invention the4 entire wagon-body or hay-rack isremoved from the wagon and elevated to the top of th'e barn and the load of hay released, afterwhich the wagon body or rack is redeposited onto the wagon for return to the field for an,- other load of hay.

In order to comprehend the invention, reterence should be had to the accompanying sheet of drawings.

Figure l is a side view in elevation, illustrating the position of the wagon preparatory to its loaded rack being elevated into the barn. Fig. 2 is a similar View disclosing the position of the rack after being elevated into the barn and its bottom opened for release of the hay. Fig. 3 is an end view of the rack removed from the wagon; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view, partly in section, of the barn.

For the purpose of illustratipn of the invention the barn Ais shown in skeleton. To one end of the barn, near the Hoor thereot','the drums or tension-rolls A A2 are arranged. To drum or roll A' is attached one end of the cable B and to drum or roll A2 one end of cable B. These cables extend upwardly and are run, respectively, through hangers B2 B3, secured to and depending from the roofbeams of the barn. The cables run from said hangers, preferably at a downward inclination, over grooved supports C C and thence outward beyond the barn, the free end of each being attached to a securing device C2. The

cables are thus run parallel in order to form drums undue sag to the suspension-tracks is compensated for.

The hay-wagon D is provided with a removable rack D. This rack is of such size as to hold a desirable quantity of hay-say one ton. To journals b b', projecting beyond the sides of the hay-rack, are lloosely secured the grooved wheels or rolls d d', there being two grooved wheels foreach side of the rack. The wheels d d are a distance apart equal to the width of the suspension-track way. From the rear end of the rack extends a lugf, which is designed to iit within the eyebolt f', secured to and upwardly projectingfroxn the body DC By this means the rack is held centered to the body. In order to prevent the rack slipping from the body during transportation, the said rack is provided at each end with a depending pin or boltfg, which tits within openings or sockets f3 at each end portion of the body. The bottom of the rack isa hinged one, being composed of hinged sections E E. To sectionE is fulcrumed `the lock-lever E2, the hooked end eof which engages with an eye e', secured to section E. The lock-lever E is operated from the rear, end of the rack by means of vthe rod E3, which rod is attached to the outer end of the lever and Vextends th rough the rear end piece of the rack. By simply drawing out or pushing inthe rod E3 the leveris moved out of and into locked engagement. Of course any other suitable style of releasing mechanism may be employed for the hingedy sections.

To the forward end of the rack is attached the ring h, which receives the hook h@ secured to one endof the haulagerope F. VThis rope extends into the barn and over sheave or pulley F, secured to the barn at a height 'approximately equal to that of the trackway` therein, and thence over sheave or pulleyF2, located near the floor of the barn. To the free end of the haulage-ropea horse is atto o tached, or, if preferred, the free end may be secured to a suitable motor or hoisting-engine.

Presuming the trackway to have been erected and the other parts arranged as described, then the operation of loading the hay into the barn is as follows: The Wagon with its loaded rack is driven from the field toward the barn. As it approaches the barn the Wagon is run between the guide-rails l 2, located outside of the barn, so as to place the front grooved wheels d d of the rack in line with the cables B B. The moment the forward wheels d d are run upon the said cable the wagon is brought to a standstill, Fig. l of the drawings. The haulage-cable is then attached to rack, and the horse or motor, to which its free end is connected, set in motion. The pull or strain thus exerted upon the haulage-cable causes the rack to be lifted from the wagon and to be gradually drawn up the suspension-trackway toward the top of and into the barn. When the rack has been placed within the barn, pressure upon the haulage-cable ceases, and it may be held therein either by the tension of the haulagecable or by any suitable form of lock mechanism. An operator then draws outward upon the rod E3, so as to throw the fulcrumed lever c, in order to release or unlock the hinged sections constituting the bottom of the rack. Then thus released, the weight 'of the hay within the rack will cause the hinged sections to open and permit the entire load of hay to fall from within the rack into the barn. The bottom is then closed by drawing upon the cords 3 4?, so as to raise the hinged sections, which are then locked by forcing the drawrod E3 inward. By releasing the strain of the haulage-cable the rack will gradually move temporary structure, which after the barn is y loaded is to be removed or taken down until again required for use.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be protected by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination with thebarn, of the cable trackway comprising the oppositelydisposed cables B, B', running at an incline into the same near the top thereof, means for supporting the cables within the barn, and means at the rear of the barn for independently tensioning the cables, and of means whereby a loaded hay-rack is propelled up said inclined trackway and into the barn.

2. The combination with a barn, of a cabletrackway arranged within the top of the barn and extending therefrom to the ground at an inclination, devices whereby the tension of the-traeltway is regulated,a hay-rack, grooved wheels secured to the rack and which work over the trackway, the hinged-section bottom for the rack, devices for locking and releasing the hinged sections, and means whereby the loaded rack is propelled up the said inclined trackway and into the barn.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK S. CHURCH.

Vitnesses:

R. E. DoLLEY, SOL. RAUSSEAU. 

